Vegan Leche Flan, is a veganized version of the Filipino classic dessert. This veganized Filipino custard is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Rich, smooth, and creamy with a golden caramel topping. You won't want to miss out on this!
As mentioned, leche flan is a Filipino version of crème caramel. What makes this different is the cooking method. Leche flan is normally steamed over the stovetop in oval tin pans called llanera. Nowadays, most people use the oven. It's then served as a dessert at parties, fiestas, holidays, and special occasions.
But this vegan leche flan uses neither of those methods. In this recipe, the vegan custard will be set at room temperature. No steaming or baking is required. It’s what makes this recipe so easy.
✨Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make! This vegan leche flan is extremely easy to whip up and will take you less than 30 minutes to make.
- No bake recipe. Unlike the traditional recipe, you don’t need an oven to cook this Filipino dessert.
- Party treat. This recipe makes for two llanera of leche flan. Perfect to bring to a dinner party and surprise your Filipino family or friend.
✏️Ingredient Notes
- Full-fat coconut milk – Full-fat is needed for this recipe to give the flan its richness, as a replacement for eggs.
- Coconut condensed milk – This ingredient not only adds to the creaminess of the recipe, but it also adds sweetness and that slightly milky flavor without all the excess moisture. It’s also a key ingredient in making regular leche flan! My favorite brand to use is Nature’s Charm.
- Silken tofu – One of the secrets to making this recipe is silken tofu, it turns into a creamy base for this flan.
- Vanilla bean paste – I highly recommend using a vanilla bean paste if you can, it’s the main flavor component of this recipe. Plus using vanilla bean paste gives it those beautiful vanilla specks throughout!
- Cornstarch – This is a great egg replacement for this recipe. It’s thickening properties, combined with the rest of the ingredients help replace the use of eggs in a traditional leche flan.
- Soy milk – Soy milk has a great neutral flavor and creamy consistency, which I find is best for making homemade vegan leche flan.
- Agar-agar powder – This is the most important ingredient for this recipe. Agar has gelling properties that provide stability. It's what holds the flan together. Without it, it turns into a custard/pudding consistency.
- Llanera – While this is not an ingredient, it’s the traditional mold used to make Filipino Leche Flan. What makes this different is that you can directly caramelize the sugar on an open flame rather than using a separate pan.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📝Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have a llanera, you can use a 6-inch cake pan! See the recipe card for more details.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
🍴How to Make Recipe
Top Tip: Use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients. That way, you'll only need one or two bowls, and you won't have to wash a bunch of measuring cups!
Step 1: Firstly, prepare the caramel. Pour 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar into a llanera mold, and place over a stovetop flame on medium heat. Do this for both llanera.
Step 2: Being extra careful, use long tongs to move the llanera consistently over the flame until the sugar starts to melt and covers the bottom of the pan. Once you achieve a dark amber-colored caramel. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool.
Step 3: Your caramel should be fully cooled when you hear and see the caramel cracking.
Step 4: In a high-speed blender, blend all the ingredients until completely smooth.
Step 5: Next, transfer to a saucepan placed over medium heat, stirring constantly, and bring to a low bubble.
When the mixture has thickened, pour the mixture into two llanera. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature. Then, transfer it to the fridge to chill for another 1-2 hours.
Step 7: Finally, carefully flip the llanera over a serving plate!
⭐Expert Tips
- Keep a close eye on it as you make the caramel. Whether it’s in the llanera or a saucepan, you need to be on top of it. Once it starts to change in color, it can easily burn. Once you see the dark amber color, remove the llanera or the saucepan from the flame and set it to cool or pour it into the mold.
- Use a blender. It helps mix all the ingredients and get a nice smooth consistency.
- It’s normal for the caramel to crack as it cools. That means it's ready!
- Allow the mixture to cool fully to room temperature before placing it in the fridge to set. It takes about 1-2 hours to set in the fridge, you can also leave it in there overnight!
💭Common Questions
This recipe doesn’t taste very sweet at all, regardless of how much sugar there is. I would not recommend reducing the amount of coconut condensed milk used. Otherwise, the measurements will be off. I can’t guarantee that the texture or outcome will be the same if you do.
Unfortunately, this recipe requires the fat and richness of coconut milk to achieve the creaminess of the flan. If you happen to find an alternative that works, please let me know!
Just like the coconut milk, you need these ingredients to achieve the ultimate texture for this flan. I would not recommend substituting these.
Some Filipino stores will have llanera for sale. However, I was lucky enough to get mine from my father-in-law. But if you can’t find a llanera, you can always use a 6-inch cake pan.
🍮How to Serve
It's best to eat vegan leche flan when it's cold. So, you can serve as an after-meal dessert or even as a midday snack.
🥣Storage & Reheating
- It's best to eat vegan leche flan right away. But, if you have leftovers you can store it in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing vegan leche flan.
❤️More Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Leche Flan (Filipino Creme Caramel)
Equipment
- 2 Medium-sized Liyanera (6.5" L x 4.5" W x 1.5" H) or one 6-inch cake pan
- Measuring cups or food scale
- Measuring spoons
- High-speed blender
- Fine mesh sieve
- Medium-sized saucepan
- Whisk
- Long tongs
- Oven mitt optional, but helps protect you from the heat
- Light-colored saucepan only for making the caramel for a cake pan
- Heat proof rubber spatula only for making the caramel for a cake pan
Ingredients
Caramel:
- 2 ½ tablespoons Granulated sugar (for each liyanera) (or 4 tablespoons for a cake pan)
Leche Flan:
- 180 grams Soymilk (see notes)
- 240 grams Full-fat coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)
- 130 grams Silken tofu
- 180 grams Vegan sweetened condensed milk (I used Nature's Charm)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla bean paste (sub for vanilla extract)
- 15 grams Cornstarch
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Agar-agar powder (not flakes)
Instructions
Caramel for llanera
- Pour 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar into two liyanera molds, and turn the stove top flame to medium-high heat.
- Being extra careful, use long tongs constantly move the liyanera consistently over the flame until the sugar starts to melt. Swirl the melted sugar to evenly distribute on the bottom of the mold.
- When you get a dark amber-colored caramel, remove it from heat and set it aside on a wire rack to cool and harden. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Your caramel will be fully cooled when you hear and see it cracking.
Caramel for cake pan
- Have your cake pan set next to you, and add 4 tablespoons of sugar to a light-colored saucepan. Spread it in an even layer and place over medium heat.
- Once the sugar starts to melt, use a heat proof rubber spatula start stirring to combine any unmelted sugar together. Cook the caramel, while stirring occasionally, until it turns a dark amber color. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
- Immediately remove from the heat and taking extra care, pour the hot caramel into the cake pan. You make need to swirl the cake pan to evenly cover the bottom. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool. Your caramel will be fully cooled when you hear and see it cracking.
Flan
- To prepare the flan, blend all the ingredients until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring constantly, and bring to a low bubble. Have your liyanera molds/cake pan with the cooled caramel and a fine mesh sieve set next to you while you do this.
- When the mixture has thickened, immediately remove it from heat and carefully pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and divide it between the two liyanera molds or pour it into one cake pan.
- Allow it to cool fully at room temperature before transferring it to the fridge to chill for another 1-2 hours. You'll know it's set when the edges pull away from the pan and the caramel starts seeping to the top.
- When you are ready to serve, place a plate over the top of the liyanera or cake pan and carefully flip it over. The flan should slide right now. If not, take a knife and run it around the sides of the mold to release. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Vegan leche flan is best eaten right away, but if you have leftovers you can store it in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Can I make this less sweet? This recipe doesn’t taste very sweet at all, regardless of how much sugar there is. I would not recommend reducing the amount of coconut condensed milk used. Otherwise, the measurements will be off. I can’t guarantee that the texture or outcome will be the same if you do.
- Can I substitute the coconut from this recipe? Unfortunately, this recipe requires the fat and richness of coconut milk to achieve the creaminess of the flan. If you happen to find an alternative that works, please let me know!
- Can I substitute the soy milk and the silken tofu? Just like the coconut milk, these ingredients are required to achieve the ultimate texture for this flan. I would not recommend substituting these.
- Where can I find a llanera? Some Filipino stores will have llanera for sale. I got mine from my father-in-law. But if you can’t find a llanera, you can always use a 6-inch cake pan.
Vegan essen Tübingen says
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this website is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality. useful job for bringing something new to the internet!
flouredframe says
Thank you so much! This means a lot to me, as I am just starting out, I really try my best to keep my content as original as possible.
Thank you again!!
Karyn says
What brand of vegan condensed milk are you using ?
Floured Frame says
Hi! I use Nature's Charm Coconut Condensed Milk!